C12 Identity

In their view, since Sandalwood School had nullified the scores, and Millenium High was still down by three points, it made sense to keep the team intact.

It's important to note that many of these individuals were disciples of Wayne, and they were naturally inclined to advocate for their own. Moreover, shortly after the meeting commenced, Wayne had messaged this group, urging them to back Sandalwood School and do their utmost to preserve their eligibility to compete.

This led to the current stalemate. The president of the provincial football association, who also served as the director of the General Administration of Sport, held his role in a temporary capacity and was not deeply involved in day-to-day operations. Consequently, with over a dozen vice presidents in attendance, the meeting lacked decisive leadership.

Just then, a knock at the door broke through the heated debate.

"Come in!"

The vice presidents exchanged glances and quickly straightened themselves out before calling out in unison.

Upon receiving the signal, a person outside entered, clutching a document, and hurried into the room.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we've just received urgent instructions from our superiors. They've tasked all regional sports departments with locating a football coach named Lucian as swiftly as possible. This is a directive from the General Administration of Sport that hasn't yet been formally disseminated to the sports departments at all levels."

"Lucian? I've never heard of him. Has he committed some kind of offense?"

Madison accepted the document and began to read.

"Apparently, a British magazine called 'World Football' featured new categories in its latest issue, including 'World's Best Young Player' and 'World's Best Referee.' Additionally, they've compiled a list of the top 20 greatest coaches of the 20th century, and one of them is Lucian from Vispheno."

"Lucian? Are you certain that's his name? Is there any additional information?"

Moses, seemingly struck by a sudden realization, leaped to his feet with an urgent expression.

"I'm not entirely sure of the details, but the document appears to include an introduction to him from 'World Football,' along with his photograph."

"Hey, Moses, what's the rush? Even if we've had our misunderstandings, this isn't the way to handle it."

Before the staff member could finish, Moses had already snatched the document from Madison's hands, startling him considerably.

"It's him, no doubt about it. I didn't see it coming. I really didn't. It's just incredible, hahaha!"

Moses, looking at Lucian's photo clipped from a magazine within the documents, muttered to himself before erupting into laughter, startling everyone in the conference room.

"Moses, are you okay? Do you need to take a break?"

A concerned colleague, who was on good terms with Moses, patted him, worry evident in his eyes.

"I'm fine, Little Zhao. Go and inform the higher-ups now. Tell them that this football coach named Lucian is right here in Onaginia."

He paused, a realization dawning on him.

"No! Correct that—tell the higher-ups that Lucian is a coach from Onaginia. If they need anything, they should come directly to me. Leave out the rest."

Little Zhao nodded and left the conference room to deliver the message.

"Moses, what's all this about? What's gotten into you?"

As all eyes turned to him, Moses eased himself into his chair, stretching out the stiffness from the long meeting, and passed the documents to Madison.

"Madison, could you please read out Lucian's profile from this document to everyone?"

Madison, puzzled by his old adversary's behavior, took the documents. It was a simple task, and he had no qualms about it. He found Lucian's information and began to read.

"Lucian was born in 1961 in Cordoba, Spain. His parents, both of Chinese descent, died in a car accident when he was three, and he was subsequently adopted by a local welfare house. An excellent student, he consistently earned scholarships throughout his schooling. He graduated with distinction and was admitted to the Cologne Sports College in Germany."

"While at college, he joined the sports research institute and earned his UEFA B-class coaching license. After graduation, he returned to Spain and, as fate would have it, joined the Segunda División team Tarragona as their head coach."

"In 1985, in his inaugural year of coaching, he led the team to the Segunda División championship and secured promotion to La Liga. The following year, he guided the team through an undefeated season of 38 matches, clinching the La Liga title."

In 1987, he experienced the most illustrious year of his career, leading his team to maintain an impressive 38-match unbeaten streak in La Liga, setting a record for two consecutive undefeated seasons. He also successfully defended the UEFA Champions League title and secured the King's Cup.

At that juncture, he chose not to renew his contract with Tarragona, nor did he opt to join any other European powerhouses. Instead, he booked a flight back to Vispheno and reverted his nationality to that of the People's Republic of China.

Subsequently, the Tyrant, who had once reigned supreme over European football, vanished from the public eye, leaving behind only his La Liga unbeaten streak and the legendary Tarragona dynasty he had built.

It's noteworthy that following his departure, Tarragona never regained its former strength, falling to the Segunda División de España and failing to climb back to La Liga for eighteen years. The seven trophies Lucian won with Tarragona became the club's sole glories.

Upon finishing the World Football report, the conference room fell into a profound silence. No one could have imagined that today, amidst the decline of Vispheno football, they would learn that two decades ago, a Visphenian had battled in the world's most elite league as a head coach.

Twenty years ago, when Vispheno's football landscape was barren, a compatriot had conquered the European football scene, ascending to the pinnacle of the sport and becoming a renowned coach.

"No wonder," mused a vice president who had previously visited Europe, "no wonder a few years back, a local journalist asked me why Vispheno's performance in the World Cup was so poor. He even questioned if it was because Vispheno disdained the other teams, deliberately playing poorly. I thought it was mockery, but now I see the context."

"Moses, do you know this Lucian?" Madison asked, snapping out of her brief daze. If Moses truly knew Lucian, it wouldn't bode well for her. With the nation now prioritizing football development, a talent like Lucian would surely be in high demand.

The search for him by the higher-ups was an unmistakable sign. If Moses was indeed friends with Lucian, he might soon find his fortunes soaring, and that could spell trouble for Madison.

"Lucian is the current head coach at Sandalwood School. I saw him in person today and even had a close encounter with him. There's no doubt about it."

Moses smiled, tapping the photo on the document. Despite being taken eighteen years ago, Lucian's appearance hasn't changed a bit, except for his striking white hair.